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Learn Hardcore Afrikaans: Ons dink daaraan. - We think about it.

Hardcore Afrikaans
/Watching rugby with friends
/Ons dink daaraan.

Ons dink daaraan.

Word

Ons dink daaraan.

Meaning

We think about it.

Part of speech

sentence

Pronunciation

Course

Hardcore Afrikaans

Lesson

Watching rugby with friends

Breakdown of Ons dink daaraan.

on it or about it

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Questions & Answers about Ons dink daaraan.

What does each word in Ons dink daaraan mean?

Ons = we
dink = think
daaraan = about it / of it / about that

So the whole sentence means something like We are thinking about it or We think about it, depending on context.

Why is daaraan one word?

Daaraan is a pronominal adverb, which is very common in Afrikaans.

It is made up of:

daar = there / that
aan = on / about / of, depending on the verb

Together, daaraan means about it or about that after verbs that use aan.

Afrikaans often does this instead of using a separate preposition + pronoun combination. So where English says think about it, Afrikaans often says daaraan dink.

Why isn’t it Ons dink aan dit?

Because Afrikaans usually prefers pronominal adverbs like daaraan instead of combinations like aan dit when referring to a thing, idea, or situation.

So:

natural: Ons dink daaraan
less natural or more marked: Ons dink aan dit

A simple way to remember it:

for things/ideas, Afrikaans often uses daaraan
for people, you usually use aan hom / aan haar / aan hulle, etc.

For example:

Ek dink aan hom = I think about him
Ek dink daaraan = I think about it

Why does aan seem to mean about here?

Because Afrikaans verbs often combine with fixed prepositions, and those combinations do not always match English exactly.

The verb phrase is:

dink aan = think about / think of

So even though aan often literally means something like to / on, after dink it gives the meaning about or of.

This is something learners often just have to memorize as part of the verb:

dink aan = think about
not just dink by itself in this sentence

Is the normal form Ons dink daaraan or Ons dink aan daardie ding?

Ons dink daaraan is the normal, compact way to say We’re thinking about it when it is already understood from context.

If you want to name the thing more explicitly, you can use a full phrase, for example:

Ons dink aan die plan = We are thinking about the plan
Ons dink aan daardie idee = We are thinking about that idea

So daaraan is used when the object is already known and can be replaced by it/that.

Does dink change depending on the subject, like think/thinks in English?

No. Afrikaans verbs do not change the way English verbs do in the present tense.

So:

Ek dink = I think
Jy dink = you think
Hy dink = he thinks
Ons dink = we think
Hulle dink = they think

The verb stays dink in all these cases. That is much simpler than English.

Does this sentence mean We think about it or We are thinking about it?

It can mean either one, depending on context.

Afrikaans present tense often covers both:

simple present: We think about it
present progressive: We are thinking about it

So Ons dink daaraan could mean:

a general idea: We think about it
something happening now: We’re thinking about it

If the context is about a current discussion or decision, English will often translate it as We’re thinking about it.

Where does daaraan go in the sentence?

In a basic main clause, the finite verb usually comes second in Afrikaans:

Ons dink daaraan

So the order here is:

Ons
dink
daaraan

This is the normal word order in a simple statement.

You can also move things for emphasis in some contexts, but for learners, Ons dink daaraan is the standard pattern to remember.

Can Ons dink daaraan also mean We’re considering it?

Yes, sometimes.

Depending on context, dink aan can mean:

think about
have in mind
consider

So if people are discussing a suggestion, Ons dink daaraan can sound like:

We’re thinking about it
We’re considering it

The exact English wording depends on the situation.

How do you pronounce daaraan?

A helpful rough pronunciation is:

Ons ≈ ons with a short o
dink ≈ dink
daaraan ≈ daa-r-aan

A few tips:

The first part daar sounds a bit like English dar.
Then comes aan, with a long aa vowel.
The r may be lightly pronounced depending on accent.

You do not need perfect pronunciation at first; the important thing is to recognize it as one unit: daaraan.

What is the difference between dink aan and dink oor?

This is a very useful question, because both can sometimes relate to thinking.

dink aan usually means think about, think of, have in mind, or consider
dink oor often means think over, reflect on, or think carefully about

Examples:

Ek dink aan jou = I’m thinking about you
Ons dink daaraan = We’re thinking about it
Ek sal daaroor dink = I’ll think it over

So in many everyday cases, dink aan is the more natural choice for think about, while dink oor can suggest more deliberate reflection.

Can I say Ons is besig om daaraan te dink instead?

Yes. That means something like We are busy thinking about it or more naturally We are thinking about it.

Compare:

Ons dink daaraan = simple, natural, general present
Ons is besig om daaraan te dink = emphasizes that the action is in progress

Afrikaans often uses the simple present where English uses am/is/are ... -ing, so Ons dink daaraan is already very normal.

What is the negative form of this sentence?

The negative is:

Ons dink nie daaraan nie.

Afrikaans usually uses double negation:

first nie after the verb or other core part of the sentence
second nie at the end

So:

Ons dink daaraan = We think about it
Ons dink nie daaraan nie = We do not think about it / We are not thinking about it

That double nie ... nie pattern is one of the key features of Afrikaans.

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